Moisture-reducing plant for coal washeries



A. FRANCE MOISTURE REDUCING PLANT FOR COAL WASHERIES Filed March 8, 19241 Patented Dec. 23, 1924!.

units stares ANTOINE FRANCE, 01? MEG-E, BELGIUM.

MOISTURE-REDUCING PLANT FOR COAL WASHERIES.

Application filed March 8, 1924. Serial No. 697,891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTOINE FRANcn, a subject of the King of the Belgians, residing at Liege, Belgium, 17 Quai Saint Leonard, have invented new and useful Improvements in Moisture-Reducing Plants for Coal \Vasheries, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in moisture-reducing plant for coal washeries. 1

The necessity of reducing the moisture contents in washed coal is so apparent that it is unnecessary to dwell further upon it. However, the means employed for this purpose up to the present have been either complex or more or less inefficient. The method most frequently adoptedconsists in storing coal in an extensive series of storage bins or bunkers, where the drainage takes place,

the time required to attain the desired result being, however, considerable. This is due to the fact that the water from the uppermost layers in thebunkers has to percolate through a multiplicity of interstices in order to pass through the stored mass.

The object ofthe present invention is to remove these drawbacks, and in order that the said invention may be readily understood an embodiment of same is, by way of example, illustrated bythe accompanying drawing, which is diagrammatic only, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view of the complete plant according to the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a view of a detail on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the said drawing the washed coal is, according to the invention, raised by means of an elevator (a) of the usual type from a hopper (6) onto a scraperconveyor ('0). The coal is delivered onto the stationary upper troughplate (d) of the conveyor and each scraper-plate (c) pushes along in frontof it a determined quantity of coal.

The mass reaching the end of the .upper' lroughplate (d) drops through a slot-likev opening (f) onto the stationary lower troughplate along which the scraperplates (0) operate in the opposite direction.

The resistance offered by the coal to its motion forward produces a compression of the mass of particles, which causes an ap preciable percentage of moisture'to be expelled, and it is to be noted that this water squeezed out owing to the above mentioned compression is Well separated from the solid mass of particles, and flows freely along in front of the said mass of particles, as shown in Fig. 2. This separation takes place in an extremely short period of time, and consequently the troughplates (d) and (g) along which the material is caused to travel, may be comparatively short.

While travelling along the trough plates (0?) and (g) the mass passes over perferated screens (71) arranged at intervals in the said plates.

The perforations of these screens (it) may be of any desired shape, but will preferably have an elongated form. The maximum dimension of these perforations should be slightly less than the maximum size of the particles of coal. Through these perforations the liquid mass drops instantaneously, into collecting hoppers (2') arranged below, carrying with it a few small particles of coal. This mud-like mixture of coal and water runs direct via a ipe or conduit such as Fig, 1 to eit er the washed coal hopper (6) or to another suitable point of the \vashery. In the intervals between the successive screens (h) the process of expelling thewater by compression due to the masses of coal-particles being pushed forward is continued, and the number of screens (h) is so determined that when the coal has passed over the last of such screens the free water is finally expelled.

It has been found that if the troughplates be inclined downwardly in the di rection of the motion imparted to the coal the release of the water is facilitated.

The coal reaching the end of the lower troughplate (9) after removal of the free water is conveyed towards storage bunkers in any suitable manner.

I claim: Y

1. In moisture reducing plant for coalwasheries, the combination of a storage hopper for the wet coal; a scraper-conveyor including a plurality of moving scraperplates substantially at right-angles to the longitudinal axis of said conveyor, a stationary upper troughplate parallel to said axis having a slot-like opening cut therein close to one end and a stationary lower troughplate parallel to said upper troughplate; a plurality of perforated screens arranged at intervals in the said troughplates; collecting hoppers under said screens for receivin the muddy water passing throughithe atter; and means for removing said muddy water from the base of the lastnamed hoppers; substantially as described.

2. In moisture reducing lantfor c0al- \vasheries, the combination o a storage hopper for the Wet coal; a scraper-conveyor 111- eluding a plurality of moving scraper plates substantially at right angles to. the

. longitudinal axis of said conveyor, a stationary upper troughplate parallel to said axis having a slot-like opening out therein close to one end and aistationary lower troughplate parallel to said upper conveyorranged'at intervals in the said troughplates;

collecting hoppers under said screens for receiving the muddy water passing through the latter; and a conduit for leading the muddy water discharged at the .base of the last-named hoppers into the aforesaid Wet coal storage hopper.

In testimony whereof I signedhereunto my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v f

ANTOINE FRANCE. Witnesses:

ING. BALEAUD, EMIL VON Wnrssmn. 

